• Mediaweek, Tuesday, September 11, 2007 11:15 AM

The scatter market in the fourth quarter is red-hot, with the cost of 30-second spots on broadcast and cable nets going for 30% to 50% more than during the upfront. Factors driving the market include those upfront 'holds to orders' coming due, with most advertisers committing to spend all that cash while the nets hold back some inventory until they determine the impact of commercial ratings.

Furthermore, ABC, CBS and NBC have decided to sell some of the inventory they normally would have given advertisers as makegoods. These makegoods will now be offered in the new season, another drain on available time. That tightening on broadcast nets is driving up prices on major cable channels--and some not so major--with hikes across all dayparts, not just prime time.

"This is the perfect storm for the television networks," says one media buyer who prefers to remain nameless. 'I shouldn't be saying this, being on the buying side--but the networks are clearly in the driver's seat right now. Any advertiser who didn't load up in the upfront is in trouble right now.'

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